


Three Empty Words

by Quinnoid



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Discussion of Death, Grief/Mourning, hugs and grieving and crying, last time I try fixing these jeez, spoilers for 174!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27007090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnoid/pseuds/Quinnoid
Summary: "I'm so sorry." At some point, those words are said so often they don't even mean anything anymore. Thankfully hugs never seem to lose their meaning.
Relationships: Commander James Barnes & Celiquillithon "Cel" Sidebottom
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Three Empty Words

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all. I'm sad. 
> 
> It was intended to be shippy, but didn't quite work out that way.
> 
> Also if anyone has advice on tags aggressively rearranging themselves?? Please send it my way? They won't stop!

‘I’m so sorry.’ Cel feels like they’ve already said it a thousand empty times when they see Barnes. He’s standing completely still near Carter’s body, staring off into the distance. Everyone else is giving him a wide berth, all grieving and mourning as well. Cel almost leaves him to his thoughts too when they see his shoulders start to shake. 

Quickly, they grab a blanket and walk over. He doesn’t react to them in the slightest, just continues to shake with unshed tears and cold. They gently wrap a blanket around him, and those three _useless_ words are on the tip of their tongue when Barnes suddenly pulls them into a tight hug.

“Oh! Okay! It’s, uhm- I.. I’m so sorry.” Cel awkwardly hugs him back. 

“Me too.” He mumbles into their coat before pulling himself free and wrapping the blanket tightly around his shoulders. “He was supposed to die doing something stupid. Pulling some idiot stunt or getting so drunk his liver just.. Checked out. Not like this..”

“I.. I’m sorry.” Cel says, unsure of what else to say. They don’t think there really is anything to say.

“He should’ve died getting caught stealing something from that dumb pyramid he always whined about. Or stealing booze.” Barnes sighs. “And Wilde. He didn’t deserve this. He just wanted to be happy. He just..”

Cel pulls him back into a hug as he starts to cry. “Okay, okay buddy. I know. I know.” They whisper and hold him tight for a long while, trying not to cry themself. Eventually, he steps back, for good this time, and gives them a small smile. 

“Thank you,” He whispers, voice still raw. They nod and smile back. It isn’t okay, not even close, but at least they have each other’s shoulders to cry on.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone would like to come yell at me about RQG, I'm on tumblr @quinnoid and I'm on discord.. technically.


End file.
